Simple alphabet boards or alphanumeric displays for the purpose of communication with disabled individuals are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,962,687 (to Hodge), U.S. Pat. No. 58,463 (to Nourse), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,341 (to Nowak), all describe alphabet or alphanumeric boards having letters of the alphabet individually laid out in sequential order. Designs using such a serial layout of characters possess a variety of shortcomings, including the length of time required to construct a word when communicating using partner assisted scanning (a commonly used technique when the disabled individual is unable to initiate letter selections via pointing). The lengthy routine can quickly become tedious for both the disabled individual as well as the communication partner.
Another example is directed to the dictation of author Jean-Dominique Bauby's novel entitled: “The Diving Suit and the Butterfly”. Mr. Bauby, a disabled individual having Locked-in Syndrome, was able to communicate with the assistance of a communication partner using a French language letter frequency ordered alphabet board. The frequency ordered alphabet board (containing 26 letters), while faster than the aforementioned designs, still took approximately two minutes to communicate the average word. The communication routine consisted of a communication partner serially moving from one letter to the next while concurrently awaiting an authorizing eye blink from Mr. Bauby to confirm the selection.
Accordingly, in view of the foregoing deficiencies, there exists a clear motivation in the communication arts directed to the disabled, for new and useful improvements.